Duster



Sept. l2, 1939.V A. c. MCMILLEN DUSTER Filed Deo. 7, 1935- 2Sheets-Sheet 1 /2 HH N1( VINI mi!!! (IUI l Tg5 y Sept 12,' 1939- l A. c.MCMILLEN 2,172,479

DUSTER Filed Dec. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @f Mwah :ilo

Patented Sept. 12, 14939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nUs'rEa Albert C.McMlllen, Evanston, Ill. Application December 7,1935, serial No. sassi 6Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a cleaner or duster, which includes two or'more dusting members preferably arranged in general parallelism solthat they may be used simultaneously to embrace and to dust or sweep twosides Iof an' extended member. Y

One object is to provide a duster conveniently usable for dusting aplurality of sections or slats of a Venetian blind. Another object is toprovide a duster which will dust simultaneously two sides of a molding,a pipe or any other projecting part.

Another object is to provide in connection with such a duster means forreadily adjusting or varying the intervals of the dusting members withrespect to each other so that they may be adjusted to dust the slats ofa Venetian blind or some analogous device irrespective of the distancebetween the slats.

Another object is to provide in connection with a duster of the typegenerally indicated removable dusting fingers. A still further object isto provide rota'table or shiftable dusting lingers so arranged thatwithout complete removal from a handle they may be moved to bringdifferent portions of their surface linto contact with the article to bedusted.

Another Objectis to provide a dusting finger suitable for use inconnection with a handle and preferably removable therefrom.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification andclaims.

The invention is illustrated more or less dia-v grammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one i'orm of the duster;

Figures 2 and 3 form together a separate transverse section taken atline 2,-3 of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale, showing the handle and acleaner finger both in section and separated from each other;

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the cleaning finger taken atline 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an elevation showing the side ofthe handle and .the holes orsockets arranged to receive the engaging parts of the cleaningngers;

Figure 6 is a side elevation with parts in section, showing the core ofa cleaning fingen.

Figure 7 is a plan view showing the development of a portion of thecleaning finger covering;

Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating a modified form of the deviceto whichA a handle may be applied; l

Figure 9 is a side elevation generally similar to of a user maypenetrate. the perforations or sockets 3 are located as shown Figure 1but showing a modified form of flnger attaching means;

Figure 1041s a sectional detail taken on an enlarged scale at line Iii-I0 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a view generally similar to Figure 10 showing a furthermodified form of nger attaching and adjusting means.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawings.

In the form shown in Figures l to' 7, inclusive, a handle I is used.This handle may have a relatively reduced portion and an extendedportion 2 provided with a series of sockets 3. The handle may benarrowed or cut away as at I to provide a convenient inger grip and mayalso have a perforation 5 by means of which it may be hung or throughwhich the thumb or finger It will be noticed that particularly in Figure5 at dliIerent distances from each other. This is to permit anadjustment of the relative positions of the cleaning fingers, that is tosay, to permit the cleaning fingers to be adjusted to provide intervalsof, work receiving crevices of different size between them so that theymay be suited for cleaning blinds or other articles in which theelements to `be cleaned are of different sizes or are situated from eachother at diierent distances. 'I'hus fingers maybe inserted in thesockets marked X and six fingers will be used and the inter'- valsbetween them will be different from those occurring when the lingers arelocated inother holes. The fingers may be inserted in the holes Y andthen only five will be used and the intervals between them -will bedifferent from those occurringwhen the fingers are inserted in thesockets X.

Other holes or sockets are provided to permit the arrangement of fingersin many different ways so, for example, that fingers may be arranged atintervals of 1 inch, 11A, 11/1, 2 inches and other variations. Thiswill, of course, necessitate the use of dif'ering numbers of fingers ina given handle and in some cases even fingers of different sizes.Fingers can, of course, be spaced so that the intervals throughout arenot uniform. Ordinarily this is not the case but it is within thecontemplation of the invention that for certain special purposes itmight be desirable to have the iingers'arranged at any given time withunequal intervals and the arrangement of sockets shown lpermits thatJust as it permits the other variations above discussed. 'I'his is trueof all forms of these means will be described below and are illustrated.

feathers I0. The nail is driven into the perforar tion and is retainedtherein and held against turning. Obviously a screw might be driven intothe wood instead of the nail or the nail might be driven in without apreformed perforation or if made ofsuitable material an end of the body6 might be reduced so that it could of itself be insertedidirectly intheperforation without the need of any such intermediate memberItionally.

as a nail. The nail will be of such size that when inserted in theperforation Bit is retained by a friction fit but may be removed and maybe 'turned when sufllcient force is applied.

While the fingers may be provided with any form of dusting or cleaningmaterial one convenient form is illustrated which comprises the skin ofsome animal In which the skin is secured to the body of the finger andhair projects outwardly to furnish the dusting medium.

As shown in Figure 'I a skin II is spread flat. At one end as at I2 itis straight, at the opposite end it is cut into notched or angularportions I3 which conveniently fold together about the rounded end I ofthe body 6. The fur or hair I4 is retained on theskin and when the skinitself Isin position about the body as shown for example in Figures 1, 3and 4, it projects outwardly andmakes a relatively continuous dustingand cleaning member. As shown in Figure 8 a body I6generally similar tothe body I is shown. It is perforated with one threaded perforation I6and a second threaded perforation I1. A handle I8 is shown as receivedin the perforation I6 and might be received in the other perforation op-'I'he body I5 is provided with perforations I similar to theperforations ,3 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 and is also provided withangularly disposed perforations I9. The spaced relationship between theperforations 3 is the` same as that described above in detail inconnectionwith Figure and the spaced relationship between theperforations I8 is also the saine.- `An advantage .of having angularlydisother article at a height and 2 but the perforations posedperforations l handle and the position of the perforations the cleanermay be used to clean a blind or some above the head of the user. Otheradvantages, of course, will suggest themselves to any user. -While thform of Figure 8 shows both the straight perforations 3 and theangularly disposed perforations I9, either might be omittedso that ahandle might have merely straight perforations or merely angularperforations or both.

As shown 'in Figures 9 and 10 the handle I is generally the same as thatshown in Figures 1 'have been omitted and a different means forysecuring the fingers is provided. This comprises a member which isconveniently made of a metalff'strip 20. bent at its ends as at 2l, 2Iand secured to the handle by-screws 22' orotherwise. The fingers aregenerally the same as those shown in the earlier figures. comprising abody 6, to which is secured the skin II and which is perforated toreceive a nail O having the wings I0 as shown in the earlier I9 is thatby means of aforms. The nail 8 is secured to a gripping member 23 whichhas at one encll a. flange 24 inwardly and downwardly bent to kengagethe strip at its other end it is inwardly bent to provide a flange 25 inwhich is seated a thumb nut 26. By this means the individual fingers maybe engaged upon the strip 20 and may be moved along it or removed from'it entirely.

As shown in Figure 11 the handle differs somewhat from those shownabove. There is a handle portion 21 reduced at 28 to be engaged by theuser. 'I'he handle is enlarged at 29 andprovided with a dovetail groovewhich may or may not receive a reinforcing lining 3i. 'I'he constructionof the fingers is the same as that above described but for each fingerthere is a receiving block 32 shaped to correspond to the shape of thegroove 30 and the lining 3l if the latter is present.l The block 32 isperforated as at I3 to receive the outer end of the nail 9. A suitablenumber of thumb nuts 34 is provided so that the individual blocks may beheld in adjusted position. By the construction lof-Fi'gure l1 anydesired number of fingers may be inserted into the groove 30 and theymay be put in any desired position, being secured by the thumb nutswhich may be effective to engage the individual blocks or may bearranged merely to press the lining 3i inwardly and to engage all of theblocks.

It lwill be realized that whereas I have herewith shown and described apractical operative device, nevertheless' many changes might be made inthe size, shape, number and disposition of parts without `departing fromthe spirit of the invention and I wish, therefore, that my showing betaken as in a sense diagrammatic.

While the skin is shown ascemented` to the core, it might be otherwisefastened.l It is convenient to use cement but the core might be that isdesired. While I have now spoken of the duster as having particularapplication for cleaning Venetian blinds or moldings or projectingmembers, it'may be used for cleaning a fiat surface, and also it may beused with any'desired number of fingers. For example, it may be usedwith lonlyr two fingers.' f

While ordinarily it is preferable to shape the handle so that thefingers may be adjusted toward and from each other to vary the intervalbetween them, for some purposes the handle will be so made that thefingers are secured to it and have no such adjustment. Ifan'installation of Venetian blinds is sufficiently large to justify theuse of a single duster for them alone,"it will ordinarily be unnecessaryto provide for adjustment of the fingers toward and from each other.

While I have spoken of the dusting or cleaning fingers as beingremovable, this language is to be taken as meaning fingers which forpractical` originally be fastened, for example, by gluing to..

the base or body portion of the duster, and yet It would be a simpleexpedient to break the glue so as to permit rotation of the finger orremoval and replacement, and such a device, even though in a sense .thefingers would initially be nonremovable, is within the contemplation ofmy.

invention.

I claim: v

1. In combination in a'duster, a base portion and a plurality ofseparate, removable dusting ngers, each iinger comprising a bodyportionand brushing parts projecting generally at right angles vto theexis of the body portion, and means I for positioning said fingers atdifferent intervals are ngers supported thereby.

2. In combination in a duster, a base portion and a plurality ofseparate and removable generally aligned dusting fingers, each of saidfingers comprising'a body portion having laterally disposed cleaningelements, and means for positioning said fingers at different intervalswith respect to each other whereby to define at diierent distances fromeach other and between the pposedlateral cleaning elements of adjacentiingers work receiving crevices, said means comprising a plurality ofsockets carried by said base and a frictional socket engaging portion oneach of said fingers, there being a greater number of sockets in thebase than there are fingers supported thereby whereby the fingers may beremovably engaged in the desired sockets and said iingers may beadjusted individually about their respective axes in said sockets Atopresent new portions of said laterally disposed cleaning elements ofadjacent iingers across said crevices when desired.

3. In combination in a duster, a base portion including a handle incombination with a plurality of separate, removable fingers and meansfor supporting said fingers upon said body at selective, variableintervals with respect to each other, said means comprising pre-formedsupports on said body and frictional support engaging members on saidfingers there being a greater number of supports on said body than thereare vfingers supported thereby.

4. In combination in a duster, abase including a handle portion, aplurality of removable fingers i mounted in said base portion, each ofsaid fingers being provided with laterally disposed cleaning elements,the cleaning elements of adjacent iingers being arranged in opposedrelation to dene work receiving crevices therebetween, said. baseportion being provided with a plurality of sockets for said fingers,said fingers each being provided with a. socket engaging portion, thenumber of sockets being greaterV than the number of fingers whereby saidfingers may be arranged on said handle portion in different desiredgroups to thereby position said work receiving crevices at relativelydifferent points along said handle portion.

5. In combination in a duster, an elongated body portion, a plurality ofsockets formed on one side'oi said body' portion, and a plurality ofremovably mounted generally parallel fingers received in said sockets,said iingers comprising individual vbody portions and socket engagingporti-ons, the body portion of each of said fingers being provided withoutwardly projecting cleaning elements extending generally at rightangles to the axis thereof, said sockets being of greater number thansaid fingers and positioned at non` uniform distances from each other toprovide for the selective insertion of the fingers in the sockets, andthe selective spacing of intervals between fingers.

6. In combination in a .duster, an elongated body portion, a pluralityof sockets, formed on one side of said body portion, and a plurality ofremovably mounted generally parallel ngers received in said sockets,said ngers comprisingl individual body portions and socket engagingp0rtions, each of .said fingers being provided with outwardly projectingcleaning elements extending generally at right angles to the axisthereof,

said sockets being ofv greater number than said fingers and positionedat non-uniform distances from each other to provide for the selectivensersockets generally at right angles to the plane of said bodyportion-within which said sockets are formed.

- ALBERT C. MCMILLEN.

